


Dancing With Dust

by MoonReever



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Asian magic reference, Care of Magical Creatures, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-western setting, Original Fiction, Pining, Romance, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Wizards
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:27:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26859703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonReever/pseuds/MoonReever
Summary: Phan is doing fine in his everyday life; studying magic under the tutelage of his eccentric master, hanging out with his annoying friends that he can't live without, enjoying his college life, and probably failing at Potion again but that's fine.What he last needs is catching feelings for the most annoying sentient being on this planet who also might be his master's new disciple. And admitting it feels like a punch in the gut.He's not fine.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 4
Kudos: 1





	1. Indelibility

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Every character in this story has two names: **birth name** and **chosen name**. They usually prefer to go by their chosen name and keep their birth name a secret. The importance of a birth name depends on the wizards themselves; some of them might feel that being called by their birth name is a symbol of intimacy and some feel that it doesn't represent their identity and hence, could be thrown away if they feel like it. 
> 
> 2\. **Benefactors** or **Wizard Masters** are well-respected members of colleges of wizardry. They are either professors or grandmasters in said college.
> 
> 3\. The college the main characters enrolled in is **Ganesha College of Wizardry**. It has four houses: **Garuda** , **Lembuswana** , **Barong** , and **Naga**.

**INDELIBILITY**

The first time they met, it was uncomfortable.

Perhaps it was the way he came up to him and acted friendly and immediately asked for permission to call him by his nickname. Perhaps it was the way he smiled with the hint of amusement hinted at the curve of his lips. Perhaps it was the way he looked at him with raised eyebrows, expecting a response as if he had the obligation to. 

It began with him and his friend, Clarity, stuck in an empty lab brewing Inversalius potion, which according to the book, was supposed to have an effect to reverse genetic mutation if brewed properly. But so far, the color of the potion didn't show any indication of being 'brewed properly'. 

Professor Adhyaksa gave them a pitying look as he gave permission for them to use the lab earlier. Perhaps he understood that for most of the students, potion wasn't the most favorite subject. And that the amount of students who failed reached the level of outstanding. 

The little jars — which mostly contained organs from varied magical creatures and herbs — felt like mocking them. It also didn't help that the temperature was too hot to their liking that even the cooling rune they drew every hour only gave little comfort. Clarity kept tying and untying her carnation pink hair in desperation. Meanwhile, his black with blue highlight hair kept reaching a new level of messiness the more it was exposed to the potion smoke he honestly gave up trying to keep them looking presentable.

It was somewhere during their peak of suffering that someone opened the door to the lab and made him so startled that he almost dropped the mixing spoon. He thought it was Professor Adhyaksa at first; perhaps he came to say their time was up or something. But once he looked up and opened his mouth to form an apology — and maybe beg for another additional time, he found that the one coming in was another student; from the house of Naga if the emblem embroidered on his tie was any indication. 

"Hey, are you the one named Phantasia?" The boy asked after he walked over to him and Clarity, suspiciously looking like he already knew which empty lab they were currently using; his head tilted to the side as he looked at him. His hair was a nice combination of gray and brown with some of his bangs falling nicely to hide part of his forehead, and his hand casually wrapped around Clarity's shoulders as he sat beside her to insert his presence and make it impossible to ignore. His eyes, Phan noticed, appeared to be a warm shade of chocolate; and they looked bright and friendly and innocent-looking as if he didn't just barge in uninvited. 

"I've heard about you from Clarity. Can I call you Phan?" 

Phan frowned, looking sideways to their apparently mutual friend, Clarity, whose shoulder was borrowed, and silently asking who the heck that was and why he was acting so familiar. 

Clarity only snorted in amusement. 

Phan's gaze returned to the intruder whose face he finally recognized from a few encounters they had before (even if they had never talked) — in the hallways, in front of the classrooms, at the training ground, in the canteen. 

Talking to new people was never part of Phan's ability, especially the too-friendly type. His frown deepened as he answered icily, "No." And it was almost venomous too. His gaze slid back to the small, sad-looking cauldron he was using which contained asparagus green potion; and it looked as pathetic as the cauldron itself if Phan was honest. 

He did not want to hear about what Clarity said about him to…whoever this guy was. And he did not want to get involved in a stranger's business. 

"That's too bad. I'm Vadimas, by the way," the boy continued to say, standing up and rounding the table so he was standing right in front of Phan. "Thank you for the warm welcome." 

Phan heard him chuckle. And he sent a glare when Vadimas put his hands on the table whilst leaning into his personal space. 

"You're annoying the shit out of him, you know that right?" Clarity pointed out but without a bite and not without a chuckle. "When I said make a good first impression, I didn't mean it like this."

Vadimas pouted, but quickly recovered as he paid her no mind anymore. He crouched down and put his hands on top of another as he sent Phan what people might call puppy eyes. 

"So, Phan. Phantasia, apologies for bothering your time. That was rude of me, but could you at least hear me out first, pretty please?"

Phan glanced at him for a moment before sliding his gaze back to check on his potion which almost turned to a worrying shade of gray as he stirred. And the smoke attacking their faces smelled too sour to be called a successful result. 

"What do you want?" He said, finally after a long pause, albeit half-heartedly. And somehow, he could imagine Vadimas' expression brightened even without glancing at him. "And how did you find us here?" 

"Mmm," Vadimas pretended to think, lifting his hand and touching his chin with his fingers; a silver ring sat comfortably on his pointer finger, giving occasional glint when the light hit it at the right angle. "A little mouse might have blabbered to me that you two would study together for the Advanced Potion exam after class — and oh, she said you're kinda hopeless in that subject, by the way — in exchange for caramel canonball*."

At that, Phan immediately whipped his head to the side to glare at his friend who, in turn, hid her face behind the second edition of 'Advanced Potion Making' textbook so only a mop of pink hair could be seen. 

"As for the first question," Vadimas continued as he grinned sheepishly, saving Clarity from almost being hexed. "I actually need a favor." 

Before Phan could open his mouth, Vadimas clapped his hands together in a pleading gesture to halt whatever kind of rejection his brain came up with. "Could you possibly arrange a meeting with your benefactor for me? I need to talk to him about urgent matters," pleaded Vadimas with the hopeful tone coloring his words. 

Phan blinked; stunned. It was so out of the blue. "With Master May? What for?" 

"My current benefactor is about to work abroad and she recommended that I come to yours. And I really need a new benefactor if I still want to stay in this college. So, please?" 

_Ah, shit._

Phan bit his lip as he considered the sudden request. Benefactors were essential in wizards' education system. They were the guardian as well as mentor that young wizards' parents sent their children to for learning about basic magic and everything related to it. They didn't have to live with their benefactors, but some of them preferred that for different reasons. 

And when the wizards reached age 19, their benefactors would register their disciples to the universities they had affiliation with. 

_But, out of all benefactors available, why Master May?_

"Why didn't your benefactor contact mine themselves?" Phan asked curiously; his head tilted slightly, mirroring Vadimas' gesture earlier. "Surely, discussion between benefactors directly would bring a better result."

"Err, how to put this," Vadimas gave a pause and looked sideways. His hand came up to rest at his neck before running his palm on it as he thought. "My benefactor and yours have a, uh, complicated relationship. She only said that in order to arrange a meeting with Master Mayhem, I have to talk to his disciple. And I only know that it's the guy from the house of Garuda. But luckily, I know an insider."

Vadimas glanced at Clarity, which was then confirmed by her with a nod. 

"...How complicated?" Phan inquired. Master May, short for Mayhem as Vadimas pointed, was a bit eccentric. And even that might be an understatement. And, like Phan, he was difficult to approach and didn't have patience for any bullshit. "And if that's so, why wouldn't she recommend you another benefactor? Besides, Master May only accepts one disciple at a time."

Clarity nudged gently at his elbow, pulling his gaze away from Vadimas. "Because his benefactor is Master Salva." 

Phan mouthed 'ah' at the unexpected revelation. That answered all of his questions, then. But still. "There's no guarantee that Master May will be willing to accept you, though." 

The 'are you sure you still want to try' was left unsaid but obviously understood from the hopeful and determined look Vadimas was giving him. 

The other boy nodded firmly. "Just leave the persuading to me." 

"...Alright." Phan shrugged, "it's your business, anyway." 

"You'll do it?!" Vadimas jumped and reached for his hand as excitement overtook him which made Phan jerk back almost immediately. 

Noticing his touch was unwelcomed, Vadimas released his hand with an apologetic look. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." 

Phan lowered his gaze and nodded slightly. "You're welcome," he said drily whilst feeling the heat spreading on his face. 

Vadimas gave him an ear-to-ear grin, looking so pleased. "Thank you," he uttered softly; the sincerity that bled from those two words sent a fluttering sensation in Phan's stomach. 

"Oh anyway, your potion is incomplete. It lacks salamander eyeball and snotty beans," Vadimas jerked his head towards the small cauldron. "See you later, Phan!" 

And then he was out the door. Just like that. 

"How the heck did he figure that out?" Clarity grumbled, flipping through the pages frantically. 

"Who even allowed him to call me Phan!" He cried and put down the mixing spoon, giving up on stirring the ridiculous potion. 

When Clarity was busy checking through the shelves and jars for the ingredients Vadimas mentioned, Phan's right hand rested on top of his left wrist. The weight of someone else's hand still lingered there. Vividly. And hauntingly. 

It felt uncomfortable.

So uncomfortable that his ears turned red. 

* * *

*: Phan and Clarity's favorite snacks. It's a bag of small chocolate caramel balls that would explode once they're inside your mouth.


	2. Dynasties Come and Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Message delivered. A decision is bound to be made.

**DYNASTIES COME AND GO**

Phan pondered for a few moments in his room whether it was wise to bother Master May when he was away to talk about Vadimas' request. But he wouldn't come home for another three hours and Phan also had some studying to do. Or a series to rewatch. 

He walked to the nightstand and opened the drawer to get a small chest out. It was locked so he let out a small amount of his energy to open it. Inside was a piece of shard from a broken teacup. He gently took it out and put it in the center of his palm. 

Master May had given it to him from the day he officially became his disciple. It could be used to summon him in case of emergency; the Summoning Spell only worked if the caster was holding an item which was significant to the one they were trying to summon, human or not. It meant that Master May held an emotional attachment to the broken teacup for some reason, but he didn't dare to ask. 

Phan drew the magic circle using his energy; it glowed electric blue. Then, he stood outside of it with the shard still on his palm. The incantation rolled out of his tongue as easy as his first success at memorizing it. Not long after that, electric blue energy rose from the circle and slowly formed the shape of a human. 

The first thing Phan noticed from his master who just appeared was his expression; a combination of exasperation and irritation. 

"Phan…" Master May began. 

"Yes, Master?" Phan greeted back. His tone was softer than the one he usually used. 

"Is this an emergency?" Master May asked even though his expression told Phan he already guessed the answer. 

Phan grinned sheepishly and hid his hands behind his back. "Actually, it depends." 

Master May sighed and massaged his glabella. "What happened this time?" 

He was still wearing fishing attire, complete with the hat, and smelled like river and rain. He had a pretty face but the facial hair he intentionally grew kind of made him look rough. His curly hair, which was usually messy, was hidden underneath his ridiculous "fish fears me, dick loves me" hat. 

Phan's master often went on a fishing trip to calm his mind. "There was something serene about standing in the middle of a flowing river," his master said back then. He also preferred to fish with non-magical methods. 

When asked about it, Master May explained that the satisfaction came from the process, not the result. It didn't quite make sense at first glance, but when he had to work through his emotions, Phan finally understood it. 

Master May was also the one who gifted him watercolor paint, complete with brushes and sketchbook, on his first birthday after Phan moved to his mansion. He taught Phan how therapeutic it was to channel whatever he was feeling into something creative. That habit still stuck with him until present day. 

"Someone named Vadimas came to me today to request something," Phan began to explain. 

"Asking for your hands?" Master May Blurted; tone indifferent but there was a ghost of a smile on his lips. 

"What, no!" Phan hurriedly said, feeling the start of heat creeping up to his face. "He's Master Salva's disciple." 

Master May's expression suddenly darkened. "Sal?" He said the name as if it gave him suffering. And clearly, he had difficulty in sticking with one emotion that came with that one name. 

"Yes. Since Master Salva is going to study abroad soon, she…" Phan bit his lip as he gave a momentary pause. "She wanted to find another benefactor for Vadimas so his disciple could stay at Ganesha." 

"And she didn't think of contacting me herself?" Master May said; his brows rose. The question wasn't directed at Phan, though. "What a coward." 

"Vadimas asked me personally to arrange a meeting with you," Phan finished, eyeing Master May to better read his emotions.

His master looked away; his eyes wandered as he kept the train of thoughts to himself. The silence in the room went on for a while Phan was almost sure Master May would break the spell anytime soon. But then, his master's gaze slid back to him again. 

"What do you think?" 

It was so unexpected that it took him a while to actually open his mouth to answer. 

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"You heard me," Master May told him. 

"But, why are you asking me?" Phan said, almost stuttered. "You're the one who will be directly affected, Master." 

Master May raised his eyebrows as if what Phan said didn't make any sense. "Is that so weird to ask for an opinion from the person I trust?" 

"No, but—"

"And besides, I'm not the only one who will be directly affected," Master May stared at him pointedly; eyes knowing even though Phan didn't reveal anything. 

He chewed on his bottom lip and, for a while, refused to look at his master. His hands played with the hem of his red shirt as he considered what his master just said. 

Finally, Phan opened his mouth to say, "indeed. It might be true, but…" He thought about how he might feel if there was a stranger suddenly living with him. He also thought about putting himself in that stranger's shoes, having to face the risk of moving to another college because of something he couldn't control. And made up his mind. "I trust that Master will make the best decision." 

Master May eyed him again and hummed as he took Phan's answer as final. 

"Alright," his master told him, then; eyelids sliding closed as he sighed. There was a smile on his lips, but it didn't feel too genuine. 

Phan was about to ask him if there was something wrong, but Master May already spoke. 

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going." 

Phan could only nod. And the spell broke, returning Master May to his original location. 

Even when his master had already gone, Phan still didn't move. The way Master May looked earlier gnawed on his mind. 

But, he knew it was too late to ask. 


End file.
